window channel repair restricted budget

metric Cwrench · Post by **metric Cwrench** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:05 pm

i'm following colin's rtv and aluminum foil method to patch up a rust-holed 78 westy window channel. holes exist from just left of center to about 3" from the right side upright section. holes are all less than quarter-sized, and do not extend to the lip (joint of nose panel and interior panel?) nor do they venture to or beyond the bend (nose panel proper).

i've used angle-grinder with wire brush to scour the flakes, and exposed 98% of the holes visible in the photo. this has been shot with cheap-o rust catalyzing spray paint ($6/can). i put the spray nozzle right up at the holes and used an air compressor to send it in search of the rust which very likely has conspired to eat bus metal. wear a mask and a pair of cheap safety glasses, or be prepared to inhale stuff and toss out perfectly good contact lenses or eyeballs (i had the sense to use a mask, but now have vision speckled with grey dots!). used the entire can up, most of which went down into the crevasse between metal panels.

this i will allow to dry overnight.
-phred

bretski · Post by **bretski** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:25 pm

Phred,

I'm gonna throw a couple of cents your way:

I would not use the Col. Hackpatch method here. As I recall, that was originally suggested to temporarily keep ruckman101's feet from hitting the ground until a proper piece of metal could be found.

Since you're on a limited budget, and you're apparently not going to weld-in new metal, might I suggest a different tactic? Use some of the POR15 you were planning to use in other areas here. Lay down a coat. While the paint is wet, put a strip of fiberglass cloth over the offending holes. Now generously saturate the fiberglass cloth with another coat of POR15. Allow to dry. You'll have a solid repair on the cheap. In the future, you can look to a fix with the appropriate repair panels.

RSorak 71Westy · Post by **RSorak 71Westy** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:28 pm

you dont need the expensive repair panels to fix this one!!! The rust is limited to the flat area just under the windshield this piece would be easy to fabricate....cut at the top edge of the curved section.....and replace....easy job.

metric Cwrench · Post by **metric Cwrench** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:17 pm

it's not so much that i can't afford a "proper" patch for this area, i was rather thinking that i might put the $50 or so elsewhere into the bus.

pics of the offended area: right side

(

center section

so it's not really bad structurally, i'm mostly concerned with keeping out the h2o in the future. i've spent a while inspecting, cleaning, brushing and converting the rust that formed due to the leak in the first place.

hey, it might not work, i'll admit that. oh well, it's a minor loss. i'll be keeping a close watch on her after the repair is done, glass and seal re-installed. i won't put any insulation down in the nose until i'm satisfied that i'm not going to have to rip this patch out and try something else.

yes, i could use about a 1" wide strip of metal, instead of the pricey "window channel repair kits" out there, with very likely good success. but the whole point of the exercise is to see if low-budget engineering will allow me to free up funds for other goodies to get her up and running on down the road- parts, fuel, tolls, etc.

this will also give me a chance to experiment with painting the bus myself (brush, roller, something like that). if the window channel and the rest of the nose come out looking acceptible, kudos! save myself enough to take a nice, long trip somewhere.

tube of rtv- $5
can of spray rust catalyzer- $7
quart of gloss paint- $16
aluminum foil-$2
knowing i fixed it myself, creatively- priceless

-phred

ps- seem to be having issues with pics, they're all in my album here.

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:24 pm

you can find steel foil tape at auto body supply stores. I used some on my bus. It's good for 3 New England winters and it's time to do it again.

metric Cwrench · Post by **metric Cwrench** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:28 pm

attempting to reroute pics...

oh, that's (top to bottom): right channel section, center channel section, rtv, pretty yellow paint

metric Cwrench · Post by **metric Cwrench** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:35 pm

hmmm, foil tape does sound intriguing, but is it too easy? heck, if it works, it works!! this bus isn't gonna win any show awards, that was never my intention. i like the simple fixes, or even the more complicated but inexpensive fixes. makes you feel good when you improvise- macguyver flashbacks!

RSorak 71Westy · Post by **RSorak 71Westy** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:27 pm

you do understand any BS fix will come back and bite you in the ass and you'll have to deal with again later?

RussellK · Post by **RussellK** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:01 am

RSorak 71Westy wrote:you do understand any BS fix will come back and bite you in the ass and you'll have to deal with again later?

^^^^^^^
What Rsorak said. So you cut corners now and in 2 years you have to do it again and next time you crack the windshield. Are you ahead? The only thing that doesn't either absorb or trap water is metal. I'd fix this the correct way the first time. Body shop material suppliers sell lead you can float in specifically for this kind of repair.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:25 am

I'd slap some roofing tar into those pinholes and call it a day.

RSorak 71Westy · Post by **RSorak 71Westy** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:30 am

There's got to be someone close to where you are like me, some who has a welder and will fix this RIGHT for $150 or less. To bad you're not closer.....

RussellK · Post by **RussellK** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:58 am

RSorak 71Westy wrote:There's got to be someone close to where you are like me, some who has a welder and will fix this RIGHT for $150 or less. To bad you're not closer.....

You're in Memphis - I'm in St Louis. That's halfway closer

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:06 am

RussellK wrote:
RSorak 71Westy wrote:There's got to be someone close to where you are like me, some who has a welder and will fix this RIGHT for $150 or less. To bad you're not closer.....
You're in Memphis - I'm in St Louis. That's halfway closer

Welding party at Russell's!

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:32 am

You do understand that not everybody has the resources to do it right? Whether it be time, money, skills or work shop? Like I said the steel foil tape lasts about 3 salty Cape Cod winters before failure begins. Even repaired with new steel and a welder the rust comes back, these 30 something year old cars rot from the inside out. Just do the best you can with what you have and expect to have to do it again every few years. Eventually you have to give up on that particular body. Hopefully you have made it mechanically sound, then you just go looking for a better body. Doesn't matter what shape it's in mechanically because you have a parts bus that is mechanically sound.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:50 am

I'd think as long as you kill the rust and seal it up good, fiber glass or even jb weld would work fine for sealing the holes up. It's not structurally compromised, just need to stop the water from coming in. I wasn't kidding roofing tar would work.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

window channel repair restricted budget

window channel repair restricted budget